September 2003
In This Issue:
Are You Suffering from Leadership Burnout?
If you’re anything like me, you appreciate and enjoy the opportunity to be part of teams that work on exciting projects, affect important changes within an organization, provide learning opportunities and further the mission of worthwhile causes and community programs. It’s just part of the way we serve as leaders in our personal and professional roles. But, if you’re anything like me, being a member of too many teams can be overwhelming and sometimes frustrating. How many of these statements describe you?
- You are the kind of person who thrives on personal interaction.
- You love to please people—and to lend a hand.
- Almost every one of your lunch hours or evenings is occupied with a meeting or event.
- You always seem to be the person in your department who is chosen to serve on a new company task force or committee.
- When your favorite non-profit organization needs help, you are the first person they ask—and you always say “yes.”
- You’re not sure who the people are who live in your house, but they look vaguely familiar.
- You don’t have time to pick up the dry cleaning, but you do have time to organize the next fundraiser for your child’s school.
- You’re always running around, but sometimes you lose track of where you’re running to.
- You often joke about how busy you are to hide your real level of stress.
- You’re involved in many organizations, but are losing your sense of contribution and satisfaction.
If three or more of these statements ring true, you may be headed for leadership burnout. That means it’s time to step back and take a critical look at your commitments and obligations. For each one, take this litmus test. Ask yourself:
- Is this something I look forward to?
- Do I feel I’m making a valuable contribution?
- Am I appreciated for the work I do?
- Is this the right team for me?
- Am I playing the right part on this team?
- Would this group or program fall apart without me?
- Do I get more enjoyment than frustration from this opportunity?
- Am I passionate about the goals of the team?
To pass muster, the commitment should meet each of these criteria. If you can’t truthfully and realistically answer “yes” to every one of these questions, you may be better served by gracefully bowing out of that committee or organization and focusing your efforts on the opportunities that are most rewarding. If every one of your opportunities meets this criteria and you still feel overwhelmed, you’ve got a difficult choice to make. It’s the choice between just doing and truly leading. With all the best intentions, sometimes we take on more than we can chew. And the most effective leaders know that less is more—that quality always wins over quantity.
The Team-Building Program
that Really CooksHelp all of your teams function more effectively with A Recipe for Results, my one-of-a-kind team-building program. Co-facilitated by Catherine Bereson, owner of What’s for Dinner Personal Chef Service, A Recipe for Results combines experiential exercises in group dynamics with the preparation of a restaurant-quality meal. Can you perform when the heat is on? Can you delegate tasks without starting a food fight? Can you trust your teammate with a 12-inch knife? Can you muster the courage to step outside your comfort-food zone? Preparation. Communication. Confidence. Leadership. During this lively, half-day program, your group will bring these ingredients together and learn the value of working as a team to create a finished product that everyone can enjoy. We provide the aprons, recipes, utensils and supplies. After receiving instructions, each team prepares a different dish—doing all of the prepping,, mixing, cooking, presenting, serving and, of course, eating! After the preparations are complete, a debriefing session allows group members to process what they’ve learned and apply it back to the work environment. A Recipe for the Results is the perfect way to:
- foster camaraderie in departmental teams
- build connections among the managers of your organization
- add an experiential component to a professional conference or executive retreat
- offer a thank-you to special clients
- show appreciation to a group of hard-working employees
- provide a lively conclusion to a day-long training session
A Recipe for Results was recently featured in "Extreme Teams," the cover story in the September issue of Selling Power magazine. Click here to read all about it! For more information or to schedule this program, e-mail kim@preparedtoperform.com.
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